NEW DELHI, India | September 22, 2026 —
The countdown has begun for another major round of political activity in the Rajya Sabha.
The Election Commission has announced elections for 11 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and the list carries some heavyweight names.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State B.L. Verma, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and several other MPs are approaching the end of their current terms.
Polling, where required, will take place on October 16, 2026.
And now comes the political question that will keep Delhi and Lucknow watching closely:
Who gets another ticket — and who makes way for a new face?
Parties have not yet revealed their complete candidate cards. That makes the next few weeks particularly important.
11 Seats — But Only 10 MPs Are Completing Their Terms
First, the numbers need to be understood correctly.
There are 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand in this election cycle.
However, 11 sitting MPs are not retiring.
Nine current members from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand are due to complete their terms on November 25, 2026.
The remaining Uttar Pradesh seat is already vacant following the resignation of Dinesh Sharma, who was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
So the equation is:
10 MPs reaching term-end.
1 UP seat already vacant.
11 seats going into the election process.
That single distinction changes the entire headline.
Hardeep Singh Puri’s Seat Will Draw Attention
Among the biggest names in the outgoing batch is Hardeep Singh Puri.
As a Union Minister and a nationally prominent BJP figure, his current Rajya Sabha term ending automatically puts attention on what the party decides next.
But term expiry does not mean political retirement.
A party can renominate an outgoing member, field that person from another available seat, or choose someone else entirely.
That is why the real suspense begins only when nominations open.
Ram Gopal Yadav Also Among Senior Names
The list is not limited to BJP members.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav is also among the members whose current term is coming to an end.
BSP member Ramji Gautam is also part of the outgoing Uttar Pradesh group.
That means the election will attract attention across party lines, especially once candidate announcements begin.
These Are the Members Whose Current Terms Are Ending
From Uttar Pradesh, the outgoing members include:
Hardeep Singh Puri — BJP
Arun Singh — BJP
Geeta alias Chandraprabha — BJP
Neeraj Shekhar — BJP
Brij Lal — BJP
B.L. Verma — BJP
Seema Dwivedi — BJP
Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav — Samajwadi Party
Ramji Gautam — Bahujan Samaj Party
From Uttarakhand:
Naresh Bansal — BJP
Their terms are due to end on November 25, 2026.
September 29: Parties Start Showing Their Cards
The real political action begins on September 29.
That is when the formal election process opens.
Candidates can file nominations until October 6.
Scrutiny will follow on October 7, while the last date for withdrawal is October 9.
Polling, if required, is scheduled for October 16. Counting will also take place the same day.
So the crucial period will be between September 29 and October 9.
That is when parties will reveal whether they are backing familiar faces, introducing new candidates or making strategic changes.
Uttar Pradesh Holds the Key
Of the 11 seats involved, 10 belong to Uttar Pradesh.
That alone ensures the state will dominate the political conversation around this election.
Rajya Sabha members are not elected directly by voters.
Elected MLAs vote through proportional representation using the single transferable vote system. The strength of parties inside the state Assembly therefore shapes how many candidates they can realistically elect.
That is why every nomination matters.
A candidate announcement is not merely a name on a form. It can signal which leaders a party wants to retain in Parliament and which new faces it wants to bring into the Upper House.
One Empty Seat Adds Another Twist
The seat earlier held by Dinesh Sharma adds another layer to the Uttar Pradesh contest.
His seat is already vacant after his resignation, while the remaining seats are reaching the end of their scheduled terms.
That means the October election is dealing with two different routes to vacancy at the same time.
For readers following the numbers, this is the detail worth remembering:
9 UP MPs finish their term + Dinesh Sharma’s vacant UP seat = 10 UP seats.
Add Uttarakhand’s one seat and the total becomes 11.
October 9 Could Be More Important Than October 16
Polling day naturally attracts attention.
But politically, October 9 could be just as interesting.
That is the last date for candidates to withdraw.
Once withdrawals close, the final field becomes clear.
If the number of valid candidates equals the number of available seats, some candidates can be elected without a contested poll.
If there are more candidates than seats, the battle moves to October 16.
So readers looking only at polling day could miss the real drama unfolding during nominations.
West Bengal Has a Separate Battle on the Same Day
October 16 will not be limited to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The Election Commission has also announced a separate Rajya Sabha bypoll in West Bengal following the resignation of TMC MP Rukmini Mallik.
That election will also be held on October 16.
So nationally, 12 Rajya Sabha seats will be involved in electoral processes that day — 11 in the UP-Uttarakhand biennial round and one West Bengal by-election.
Term Ending Does Not Mean Career Ending
This is another point readers should not miss.
Rajya Sabha membership ending on November 25 does not mean an MP is automatically leaving Parliament permanently.
Outgoing members can be renominated.
Parties can move leaders between states where legally permissible and politically appropriate.
Others may not return immediately.
Until candidate lists are officially announced, conclusions about individual leaders would be premature.
And that uncertainty is exactly what makes the next phase worth watching.
Now the Real Game Is the Candidate List
The Election Commission has fixed the dates.
The seats are known.
The outgoing names are known.
Now the political parties have to reveal their hands.
Will familiar faces return?
Will parties introduce new names?
Will every seat be settled without a contest, or will October 16 see an actual vote?
Those answers will begin emerging after September 29.
For now, one thing is certain:
The Rajya Sabha is heading into a fresh round of political churn — and Uttar Pradesh will be right at the centre of it.
